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2018 Municipal Election

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The 2018 Municipal Election was held on Monday, October 22, 2018.

Be sure to check this page often for all updates and information regarding the 2018 Municipal Election.

2018 Election Results

I, Nancy J. Bozzato, Town Clerk/Returning Officer of the Corporation of the Town of Pelham in the Regional Municipality of Niagara, declare the following candidates elected as a result of the Municipal Election held on Monday, October 22, 2018.

I, Nancy J. Bozzato, Town Clerk/Returning Officer, advise that during the period commencing on May 1, 2018 and completed on Nomination Day, July 27, 2018, the following persons have filed all necessary nomination papers, endorsements, declarations and fees for Mayor (& Member of Regional Council), which have been certified* by the Clerk:

October 8, 2018 - Notice is hereby given, pursuant to section 39 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, that candidate Alexandra Forsyth-Sells has provided the Clerk written confirmation that she is ineligible to hold office for Ward 2 due to her relocation outside of Pelham. Because printing of the ballots was completed prior to receipt of this information, the candidate's name remains on all Ward 2 ballots.

Candidates who participated in the 2018 Municipal Election must file a financial statement in the required form, Form 4, detailing the income and expenses incurred during the candidate's campaign. The period for filing concludes on Friday, March 29, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

All financial statements are public documents and are retained by the Clerk until the new council takes office following the next regular municipal election. The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, (The Act) provides that the Clerk shall make the financial statements available at no charge for viewing on a website on the Internet or another electronic format as soon as possible after the document is filed. You may view the applicable financial statement by clicking on the corresponding links provided below. These documents may also be inspected in person during normal office hours.

If a financial statement was not submitted, the candidate is issued a Notice of Default in accordance with Section 80(3) of The Act, and the Clerk shall also notify Council of the default. Candidates in default are deemed ineligible to be elected or appointed to any office to which The Act applies until after the next regular election has taken place.

Municipal Elections are governed by The Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Important changes have been made to the Municipal Elections Act for the 2018 Election, which includes a shortened Nomination Period and the Addition of Registered Third Parties.

The Niagara Region has introduced a mapping tool to provide voters' in Niagara access to ward boundary and voting location information for each municipality in Niagara. Users will be able to obtain advance poll dates, times and locations and election day (October 22, 2018) voting times and locations. Click here to access the mapping tool.

Residents can now use the form below to confirm if they're registerd to vote in the 2018 Municipal Elections.

This service is provided to you by Voterview.ca.

Voting by Proxy

Any eligible Pelham voter may appoint another eligible Pelham voter to vote on his or her behalf. Any person whose name is on the Voters' List or who had been added to the Voters' List may vote by proxy. If you are going away before voting begins in September 2018, you can apply to the Town Clerk for a vote by proxy. Click here for the list of polling station and advance voting dates.

Proxy appointment forms are available through the Clerk's department at the Town of Pelham Municipal Building, 2 Pelham Town Square, Fonthill ON.

Note: Identification will be required at the polling station to verify identity, qualifying address and/or citizenship status. For a list of acceptable voter identification, click here.

Nominations for Mayor/Regional Councillor, Pelham Regional Councillor, Ward Councillor, School Board Trustee - DSBN: Nominations can be filed in-person or through an agent. Faxed or electronic submissions are not acceptable. Nominations will be receieved by the Town Clerk from May 1 to July 27, 2018, at:

Office of the Town Clerk Town of Pelham Municipal Office20 Pelham Town Square Fonthill ON

On April 19, 2018 The Ministry of Municipal Affairs is hosted a candidate information session in partnership with Niagara's Municipalities for anyone who was interested in running as a candidate, or becoming a third-party advertiser in the 2018 Municipal and School Board Election. To view the candidate information powerpoint presentation, click here.

So you want to Run for Council? The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has announced a 2018 update to the So you want to Run for Council online course. The course will be live at MunicipalEducation.ca from mid to late February, 2018. The course content is valuable for anyone running for council, covering subject matter such as:

Reasons that you should and should not run for council;

What you should know before you run for office;

Dealing with the media;

Techniques for working with others;

The roles of Council member and staff;

What the true power and influence of the Municipal Government is;

Transparency and accountability in Government;

And much more...

For more information about this course, please visit the link provided.

The Municipal Act, Section 224 outlines the following responsibilities for the role of a Councillor:

To represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality;

To develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality;

To determine which services the municipality provides;

To ensure that administrative policies, practices and procedures and controllership policies, practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of council;

(d.1) To ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality, including the activities of the senior management of the municipality;

To maintain the financial integrity of the municipality; and

To carry out the duties of council under this or any other act.

The Municipal Act, Section 224 outlines the following responsibilities for the role of a Head of Mayor (Head of Council):

To act as the chief executive officer of the municipality;

To preside over council meetings so that its business can be carried out efficiently and effectively

To provide leadership to the Council; (c.1) Without limiting clause (c), to provide information and recommendations to the council with respect to the role of council described in clauses 224 (d) and (d.1);

To represent the municipality at official functions; and

To carry out the duties of a head of council under this or any other Act.

How often do Council Meetings occur?

Regular meetings of Council & Committee occur on the first and third Monday of every month, beginning at 6:30 pm. Public meetings under the Planning Act are held on the second Monday of the month, as required, and Special Meetings are called as deemed necessary by the Mayor.

On average, how many hours are needed to prepare for bi-weekly Council and Committee meetings?

Councillors identified the preparation time for regular meetings as a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 10 hours, depending on agenda volume.

On average, how much time is spent with residents (over the phone or in person) every week?

Councillors identified spending anywhere from 0 to 10 hours per week with residents, depending on the decisions required of Council and current issues.

On average, how much time is spent with staff members (over the phone or in person) every week?

Councillors identified spending anywhere from 0 to 10 hours per week with staff members, depending on the decisions required of Council.

What are the rates of remuneration for Members of Council?

In 2016, the rates were: - Councillor: $15, 090

- Mayor: $32,924 + car allowance

How many advisory committees are Councillors typically a part of?

Councillors may participate in between 1 and 4 advisory committees which provide advice and assistance to Council on a variety of special interest areas. Councillors may consider appointment to the following committees (subject to change):

Every person is qualified to be elected or hold office for the Mayor, Regional Councillor, Ward Council ext. if on the day the nomination paper is filed, the person is:

At least 18 years of age;

A Canadian Citizen;

A resident of the Town of Pelham, or an owner or tentant of land in the Town of Pelham, or the spouce of an owner or tenant;

Not legally prohibited from voting;

Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office;

Entitled to be an elector within the Town of Pelham.

A nomination paper must be signed by 25 eligible voters supporting the nomination. The individuals providing signatures must sign a declaration stating they are eligible to vote in the municipality on the day they sign the endorsement. This endorsement becomes a public record.

Each candidate must provide proof of Canadian citizenship in a form acceptable to the Clerk. It is the responsibilty of the candidate to file a bona fide nomination paper.

Nomination forms will be made available in April 2018 or sooner, once released by the Province;

Employees of the Town of Pelham or its local boards who wish to run for office must take an unpaid leave of absence as of the day the employee is nominated and ending on voting day, before submitting the nomination paper. Employees must provide a copy of the documentation showing this leave of absence and effective date are complete, and must resign their position if elected.

The following are disqualified from being elected or holding office on a numicipal Council:

A judge of any court;

A member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations. Proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations or the Clerk will not certify the nomination;

A candidate to failed to file the necessary financial statement in the last municipal election or by-election;

An inmate serving a sentence under the Municipal Elections Act and Municipal Act.

A full list of disqualifications is available under the Municipal Elections Act and Municipal Act, found here.

Filing Fees

Filing fee for nomination to the position of Mayor/ Regional Councillor is $200.00.

Filing fee for nominations to Ward Councillor or School Board Trustee is $100.00.

Filing fee for the Pelham Regional Councillor is $100.00.

Payment must be by cash, certified cheque, debit or money order paybale to the Town of Pelham.

Nominations for Regional Chair are filed with the Regional Clerk and the fee is $200.00.

Nominations for English Catholic Trustee are filed with the Town of Grimsby Clerk, and the fee is $100.00.

Nominations for both French Public and French Catholic School Trustees are filed with the City of Welland City Clerk, and the fee is $100.00.

Withdrawal of Nomination

If a candidate decides they no longer wish to run for Office, the following must occur:

File a written Withdrawal of Nomination form, in person, with the Town Clerk;

Provide identification;

File a financial statement by the deadline date.

Last day to withdrawal: Friday, July 27, 2018 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Reasons to Reject a Nomination By the Clerk

Prior to 4:00 p.m. on July 30, 2018 (Monday following Nomination Day) the Clerk must examine each nomination field. if satisfied and the nomination complies with the Municipal Election Act, 1996, the person is qualifies to be nominated and the Clerk shall certify the nomination. If not satisfied, the Clerk shall reject the nomination and give notice to the person who sought to be nominated and all other candidates for that office. The Clerk's decision to reject a nomination is final.

The Clerk may consider the following criteria in the decision to reject or certify nominations:

The candidate has refused or declined to provide proof of qualifications or identification suitable to the Town Clerk;

The candidate does not meet the eligibility requirements set out under Section 29(1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996;

The nomination form is not complete in its entirety or the filing fee has not been paid;

The necessary financial statement was not filed for the previous regular election for any new election in which the individual may have been a candidate.

Campaign Information

Candidates cannot raise or spend any money on their campaign until the appropriate nomination paper is filed with the Clerk. Contributions are considered to be any money, goods or services given to and accepted by, or on behalf of, the candidate for their campaign. The candidate's campaign period begins on the date the candidate files the nomination papers. It is the responsibility of each candidate to ensure they are qualified to run for office.

Direct Elect Regional Chair. For the first time in Niagara, the Regional Chair will be directly elected in the 2018 Municipal Election. For specific information about filing a nomination for the Regional Chair position, please visit the link below:

The Town Clerk's staff are pleased to assist you with any questions you may have concerning the Municipal Election. For any questions, concerns or further information, please contact Nancy Bozzato, Town Clerk, at 905-892-2607 Ext. 315 or via email at nbozzato@pelham.ca.